Treasure trove of parts for many rare classic cars found, going to auction

Owning a classic car is never an easy go. When a wheel bends, a trim piece comes loose, or a mechanical part fails, it can be difficult to find a replacement. For owners of vintage Italian cars, Coys auction house has discovered a treasure trove of parts for some of the rarest classic cars—and they're heading to auction.

According to an Auto Classics report last Friday, the parts were originally part of a private collection, though the owner passed away years ago. Only now have the container's worth of parts been discovered, and they have a value of well over $1 million. Included in the haul are Maserati replacement trim; genuine spare parts for such Ferrari models as the 250 SWB, 250 GTO, 275, Daytona Competizione, F40, and 512LM; and numerous replacement wheels for various other classic cars.

What's most incredible is many of the parts remain in their original wooden crates, occasionally still fitted in their original packaging as if they were brand new. Some of the parts date back to the early 1960s and it's unclear just how many vintage cars are covered in the plethora of spare parts on hand. The auction house said it will take weeks to catalog the parts before they head to auction.

"There are wire wheels in their original wooden boxes, carburetors in their original oiled wrapping paper, exhaust pipes, radiator grills, dashboards, the list just goes on and on," Chris Routledge, Coys' managing director said.

The parts will be offered with no reserve at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England, on June 29.